What better feeling is there than enjoying a reading marathon?
Now this joy doesn’t just happen. I mean, it can, but a true reading marathon takes planning. I’d like to present the Golden Dragon’s ultimate guide to preparing for an epic reading marathon.
READING MATERIAL
Of course, the first thing you have to consider is what you’re going to read. You can just plan to read a really thick book cover to cover, but I prefer to have a variety of books on hand. If I have a non-fiction book, a couple of stand alone books from my favorite author, and an interesting new trilogy, I know that I’m covered. What you choose will depend on your own tastes and privileges. Just make sure that you have enough reading material. Nothing ruins a reading marathon more than running out of books.
Also, you might want to think twice before depending entirely on a brand new stack of fiction books. What will you do if you don’t like them?
READING NOOK
Next on the agenda is finding a comfy place to read. You might prefer to get up and walk around a little, change your reading spot. That’s fine. But if you’re planning on staying in one place for the majority of your reading marathon, make sure that you have a comfy reading nook. I suggest that you grab a few extra pillows and a blanket. You never know when you might need them. I always find that I’m comfiest when I’m wrapped up in a blanket with a good book.
CLOTHES
This is not the time to dress in your Sunday best. A reading marathon is the perfect opportunity to stay in your pajamas all day. If you don’t want to do that, then just put on a pair of shorts and an old t-shirt. If that doesn’t sound comfortable to you, then find something that works. You aren’t trying to impress anyone while you read. But, for goodness sake, leave your shoes by the door!
FOOD
There are two categories of food that you need to think about. If you are planning on reading for a day or less, then you can get away with finger foods. I don’t mean a bag of cheetos, a box of half-melted chocolates, and a couple cans of soda. Those are actually all things to avoid. You need finger foods that don’t require a lot of napkins (although you should probably keep some of those handy just in case.) Carrots, cheese its, ritz crackers, grapes…these are all staples of mine that won’t leave messy marks on your book. I also suggest that you stick with drinks that have tops.
Those snacks won’t hold you over for an entire weekend of reading. You’re going to need something more substantial. This is where frozen dinners and things you can make in bulk come handy. My personal favorite is a big batch of cheesy mac n’ cheese. I can prepare it in ten minutes, and then I can eat it right out of the pot, leaning over the stove, a spoon in one hand and a book in the other.
MUSIC
I love music. Even when I’m working on something important, I prefer to have something going on in the background. But I don’t like to play music while I’m reading. I don’t want anything from distracting me from my books. If that’s true for you then you should try setting up your reading nook in a quiet, secluded corner.
However, you should plan ahead if you need music. Choose something that’s easy going and won’t distract you too much, and make sure that you have enough music to last your entire marathon. If you need to, you can also us that music to drown out any outside noise.
I’d like to just speak a moment about distractions. It’s understandable if you can’t completely get away from the world and enjoy a distraction free weekend. However, do yourself a favor by minimizing the distractions that we often set up for ourselves. Turn off the electronic screens, tell your family you need some quite reading time, and then shut the door and turn your phone to vibrate. I really mean that last one. Turn your phone to vibrate and place it on the ground.
And finally,
BATHROOM
You need to make sure that wherever you choose to have your reading marathon, you have access to a bathroom. Everything doesn’t just stop because you’re having a wonderful time reading. If possible, position yourself halfway between a bathroom and a kitchen…and ideally that room would be a massive Beauty and the Beast style library. 😀
Oh, and one more piece of advice:
Good luck to you, fellow book lover! I wish you hours and hours of fun!
Let me know if you have any more rips/rules for reading marathons. I’d love to hear them. In the meantime, please excuse me. I have a fresh stack of library books I’m itching to get my hands on.